It’s a long-held belief that pregnant people need to take it easy during their pregnancy; further stoked by fears of pre-term deliveries or squishing their baby. While the importance of getting plenty of rest can hardly be overstated, there is often no need to bring your life or activity levels to a grinding halt throughout pregnancy. In fact, many healthy or medically normal pregnancies would benefit from maintaining, or even in some cases, increasing, your physical activity!
Appropriate exercise routines during pregnancy can help promote the physical and mental wellness of both mama & baby by providing a healthy outlet for managing the physical changes throughout the pregnancy and for coping with the emotional changes around your growing belly and growing family.
Regular exercise while pregnant has also been shown to:
– reduce chronic pregnancy pains; such as back pain, hip pain, or sciatic pain
– improve labor and delivery (active pregnancies are linked to shorter labor and deliveries, less labor pains, quicker recoveries, and lower occurrence of delivery complications)
– lead to increased muscle mass and decreased fat mass for babies
– lead to increased IQ for babies
While many people are told to avoid any strenuous activity during pregnancy, I like to remind people that pregnancy, labor, and delivery are strenuous activities that every pregnant person should absolutely feel empowered to prepare themselves for both mentally and physically!
– Disclaimer: Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any exercise routine during pregnancy. This post was written by a certified personal trainer with specialized education in pre- and postnatal fitness, not a medical professional, and is not intended to serve as or replace medical information or opinion.
Understanding Each Trimester
Pregnancy is divided into three distinct trimesters. In the first trimester, the uterus works overtime growing to support a pregnancy and create the placenta, the baby develops rapidly from a zygote to a fetus, and all of the baby’s major organs are developed. This is a LOT of work for the pregnant mama! Common symptoms in the first trimester include feeling fatigued – like, seriously all the time – and experiencing nausea and/or shortness of breath. These symptoms can start affecting you as early as 5 weeks – sometimes even before you think to pick up that pregnancy test!
In the second trimester, there is often a much-needed reprieve from both the nausea and the fatigue. The second trimester is often the favorite of the three, thanks to the little break in feeling so icky, but also because this is when most people grow the beloved belly bump! The adorable new addition not only lets the cat out of the bag – if you haven’t already – but it is also responsible for the pelvic pressure you may begin to feel at this point, as your growing uterus starts to weigh on the pelvic floor muscles. Your expanding belly is also the culprit of your newfound wobbliness, as your body’s center of gravity begins to shift forward to offset the new weight of the baby.
The third trimester sees rapid growth once again, as the baby grows more and more and prepares to join you on the other side of the belly! Unfortunately, this may become quite uncomfortable as your uterus starts to push on the different organs in your chest cavity – such as your digestive tract, lungs, and heart. Your organs will be squished and working hard under these tight new conditions, which may result in new feelings of – or further exacerbate any – breathlessness, nausea, or heartburn.
First Trimester (Weeks 1-12)
During the first trimester, many expecting mamas experience nausea or vomiting that – despite being known colloquially as “morning sickness” – can strike at any time of day or night, and can make physical activity difficult or feel downright impossible. The extreme fatigue of the first trimester can also cause exercise to fall much lower on the totem pole of priorities (or, at least beneath “naps”)! However, regular activity can help combat both these symptoms and keep you feeling better all around. The best solution is to find a balance between some light exercise and getting extra rest or sleep!
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) recommend striving for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity five days per week for healthy individuals, including those experiencing medically typical pregnancies. If you are new to working out, it’s important to start slow and to consult with a prenatal fitness instructor to help keep yourself and your growing baby safe!
Generally safe exercise activities during pregnancy include low-impact aerobic activities, gentle stretching, and strengthening activities – particularly for the core and pelvic floor.
Safe Exercises for 1st Trimester
1. Walking
2. Swimming
3. Prenatal yoga
4. Pelvic floor exercises
Tips for Staying Active in the 1st Trimester
1. Start slowly and build on your momentum
2. Aim for consistency rather than perfection
3. Adjust your exercise and overall energy output based on how you are feeling each day
Second Trimester (Weeks 13-26)
As you enter the second trimester, the nausea and fatigue tend to (hopefully!) lessen or disappear entirely. Take advantage of having more energy to work on building strength that will support your pregnancy, labor, delivery, and recovery!
As your belly grows, your center of gravity shifts forward with the weight. This can cause feelings of unsteadiness, so be sure to take your time and not test the boundaries of your balance! The shifting center of gravity can also affect the posture of the spine, leading to chronic pregnancy-related pains such as low back pain, sciatic nerve pain, and neck and shoulder pain. Working to strengthen the postural muscles of the back, chest, hips, and core can help combat and reduce these pains, making your pregnancy much more comfortable.
The growing baby & belly bump can also have another unexpected effect. When laying on your back, the weight of the growing uterus sitting on your spine can reduce blood flow and cause feelings of lightheadedness or nausea. Additionally, the muscles of the abdominal wall are stretched and pushed to the side by the growing uterus, which can make sitting upright from sitting on your back difficult or painful. Be careful not spend too much time in this position and, when getting up from this position, roll onto your side before sitting up to help reduce the strain on the abdominal muscles and pressure on the uterus.
In the second trimester, low-impact aerobic activities, strength-building activities, and stretching are essential for helping the heart, lungs, and muscles keep up with the increased workload of pregnancy.
Safe Exercises for 2nd Trimester
1. Low-impact aerobics (walking, swimming, elliptical)
2. Strength training
-squats and lunges for labor and delivery prep
-back, chest, and shoulder strengthening for postural support and pain management
-hip and pelvic floor strengthening for pain management, delivery prep, and postpartum recovery
3. Gentle stretching routines
4. Modified core strengthening exercises
Tips for Staying Active in the 2nd Trimester
1. Stay hydrated before, during, and after your workout
2. Wear well-fitting exercise clothing that supports, rather than squishes, your belly
3. Listen to your body – now is not the time to set any new personal records!
Third Trimester (Weeks 27-40)
The third trimester is greeted with a return of fatigue, difficulty sleeping or feeling comfortable, increased difficulty balancing, and shortness of breath. At this point, everything may be starting to feel like an exercise as you reach the finish line! The best course of action is to approach your third trimester fitness routine with the goal of maintaining movement rather than focusing on intensity of the movement.
Keeping up your strength in particular will be especially beneficial for labor and delivery prep! Labor is a very physically demanding activity, and preparing the heart, lungs, and muscles (especially the muscles of the hips, pelvic floor, and core) for labor through strength training will help you feel properly equipped and assist in a faster recovery postpartum.
Safe Exercises for 3rd Trimester
1. Low-impact aerobics (walking, swimming)
2. Strength training; particularly squats and lunges
3. Modified core & pelvic floor strengthening exercises
4. Breathing exercises for labor
Tips for Staying Active in the 3rd Trimester
1. Avoid high-impact activities or activities that challenge sense of balance
2. Prioritize getting physical and mental rest
3. Be aware of your body’s decreased cardio capacity due to the uterus putting pressure on the heart and lungs
General Exercise Guidelines for Pregnant Women
Generally speaking, exercise is safe for most pregnant people to participate in and has proven benefits to the health of both mama and baby, as well as helping with the management of pregnancy-related pains and preparing the body for labor and delivery.
Some great ways to incorporate exercise into your daily routine while pregnant include joining a community, such as a local Mommy & Me fitness class (check out our Mommy & Me Fitness Classes in the Inland Empire, safely and thoughtfully designed for pregnant and postpartum women), using a fitness tracker app to track your steps or progress, and setting clear and attainable goals (check out our post on Smart Goal Setting).
There are three important things to remember about your pregnancy exercise routine:
- Pregnancy is not the time to set new personal records; stick to the exercises and weights you feel comfortable with already and avoid adding too many new types of exercise
- *if you are new to exercise, we highly recommend working with a certified trainer who has education in prenatal fitness to help you safely start an exercise program to support your pregnancy and your baby properly
- Avoid challenging your sense of balance or exercises that could pose fall risks (i.e., jumping movements, stepping onto/off on high platforms, uneven surfaces, etc)
- Modify your core workouts (avoid crunching movements and work to strengthen the postural support muscles of the core, low back, and hips)
Signs to stop exercise immediately and seek medical attention include:
- vaginal bleeding
- abdominal pain
- regular or painful uterine contractions
- leakage of fluid from vagina
- shortness of breath before exertion
- fainting
- severe headache
- chest pain
*when in doubt, it is always safer to seek medical attention or opinion rather than trying to push through something that doesn’t feel right.
You are ultimately the expert on your own body! Listen to the signals your body is sending you and focus on finding a way to move your body that you can enjoy and use to connect with your baby.
Did you workout during your pregnancy? Share in the comments below any tips you have for staying active and healthy!
Additional Resources
– Mommy & Me Group Fitness Classes
– One-on-one Personal training with Kailey – ACE Certified Personal Trainer with pre- and postnatal fitness education
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